cyborgs and robots in star trek...

[masharfksy]

I'm a huge fan of star trek and of the anime Ghost in the Shell. I was wondering if something like what they do in that show could work in star trek. All the main characters have had their brains transplanted into robot bodies because their regular bodies were to damaged for them to survive. It's a theme i sometimes find on wikipedia under mind uploading. What to do you think?

 

[Dukhat]

I'm a huge fan of star trek and of the anime Ghost in the Shell. I was wondering if something like what they do in that show could work in star trek. All the main characters have had their brains transplanted into robot bodies because their regular bodies were to damaged for them to survive. It's a theme i sometimes find on wikipedia under mind uploading. What to do you think?

I think there's no reason whatsoever why the main characters need to get their brains put into robot bodies. What does that have to do with telling good stories?

 

[jefferiestubes8]

the anime Ghost in the Shell.
I was wondering if something like what they do in that show could work in star trek. All the main characters have had their brains transplanted into robot bodies because their regular bodies were to damaged for them to survive.

The idea is a possibility for an alien race for a one-off episode or even an arc but highly unlikely for a member of the crew on board the next TV series.

The closest Trek has to that is Data, one of the 3 Soong-type androids equipped with positronic brains.

The next closest thing to that would be the Emergency Medical Holographic program (EMH) specifically EMH Mark I & EMH Mark II, & EMH Mark IV on VOY as well as the Emergency Command Hologram on VOY.
and the Long-term Medical Holographic program on DS9.


Now to truly have the EMH 'the doctor' from VOY once the series had The autonomous self-sustaining mobile holo-emitter, or mobile emitter which the doctor's entire program & memory is downloaded into the mobile emitter in a number of episodes that would cover the similar idea from Ghost in the Shell of transplanting a brain (in this case 'The Doctor''s program which resides in VOY's computers.

 

[Robert D. Robot]

We also have Roger Corby from "What are Little Girls Made of?", but he did not survive the episode. The process did not seem to be without its own particular problems......

 

[Temis the Vorta]

How about we reverse this idea and bring back the Medusans - energy beings who live in a humanoid shell so they can interact with others in Starfleet?

 

[FordSVT]

I think the culture exhibited in the Federation is inherently against genetic manipulation and excessive bio-mechanical technology. They probably have the technology to do it, but few people would chose to have their brains transplanted into an artificial body, even if it was their only chance for survival. It's a step beyond artificial limbs and implants that most simply wouldn't take.

Star Trek will probably always be beholden to its simple 1960s "Wagon Train to the stars" sci-fi roots. It's a setting in which to discuss social issues, do a bit of adventuring, and occasionally have a good gun-fight, but not the best place to run wild with technology. We could easily imagine a sci-fi universe with technology far in advance of Star Trek, but it's no small task trying to merge every new fantastical piece of current theoretical technology into that established universe, and Trek writers have always done it in little baby steps when they have tried. It's usually through a species of the week, not Federation society or Starfleet itself.